Category: Squadpod Featured Books

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: The Liars by Katherine Fleet

Published August 15th, 2024 by Michael Joseph
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction

Welcome to my review for the The Liars, the unnerving thriller by Katherine Fleet, which was one of the SquadPod Featured Books in August. Thank you to Michael Joseph for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

EAD THE INTENSE, EVOCATIVE DESTINATION THRILLER FOR FANS OF LUCY CLARKE AND WILL DEAN


Two sisters. One missing girl. An island full of secrets . . .

‘Compelling and utterly transportive, a scorching summer read’ LUCY CLARKE

‘Beautiful writing and characterisation and a gripping plot. Such an atmospheric read ‘ SARAH PEARSE

—-
I thought I saw her today. Down by the water. It was her hair I noticed. Do you ever see her, Lex? Does she haunt you too?

I haven’t been back to Eos since I first met my step-sister, Lex.
It’s been twenty-five years since that summer.
Since we went from strangers to sisters.
Since Abigail went missing.

Since we told the first lie.

Now we’re back together on the island.
So much has changed since we were teenagers.
We’ve both tried to move on from the past – from each other.
But the island won’t let us escape our secrets.

Only me and Lex know the truth about Abigail.
We’ve been living a lie for so long.
And if the truth comes out – neither of us will survive it . . .

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MY REVIEW:

A cold case that has never been solved. Teenage friendship and insecurities. A sun-soaked summer of memories and secrets. A missing girl. The Liars has all this and more, making it the perfect scorching summer thriller.

Still haunted by memories of the sun-soaked summer she met Lex, Zoe hasn’t returned to Eos for twenty-five years. That summer wasn’t just one of teenage fun, friendship and insecurities, it was also when a girl went missing and her two friends swore to keep a dark secret forever. But now, Zoe is back for her step-father’s funeral and finds that the ghosts of that summer never left the island. And they’ve been waiting for her to return…

Atmospheric, intense, unnerving and addictive, this escapist thriller is not to be missed. Told in dual timelines, Katherine Fleet has packed a lot into these pages: heartbreak, grief, friendship, insecurity, anxiety, envy, secrets, lies, romance, and self-discovery. Her writing is skillful and captivating,  a sense of uneasiness and foreboding woven through the story while darkness simmers beneath the surface. There is also a strong sense of place, Fleet transporting me to the island of Eos so evocatively that I  could feel the sun rays hitting my skin, hear the waves and smell the suncream. From the start we know that something bad happened twenty-five years ago. A secret that Zoe and Lex had vowed to always hide and was so terrible it tore them apart. Chills ran down my spine and I was on the edge of my seat as I tried to guess what had happened to Abigail. 

Zoe narrates the story in both timelines, offering the reader a glimpse into her psyche and showing us the other characters through her lens. This obviously makes it a biased account of events, but you get the sense that Zoe is a reliable narrator. Fleet’s characterisation is spot on, perfectly capturing the bittersweet teenage years with all their rebellion, angst, confusion and insecurity. She also perfectly captures the dynamics of teenage female friendships with all their drama, rivalry and jealousy. 

So if you’re looking for a suspenseful and intriguing read you can escape with this summer, The Liars is for you. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Katherine Fleet is a writer and author coach for The Novelry. As a journalist, she wrote for The Guardian, Sunday Times, Red, Stella and Grazia. She lives in a Cotswold valley with her two rescue dogs, where she writes and coaches full-time. A trip to the small Greek island of Paxos was the inspiration for The Liars.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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Beat the Backlist book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2023 Squadpod Squadpod Featured Books

SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

Published June 6th, 2023 by Michael Joseph
Romance Novel, Contemporary Romance, Domestic Fiction, New Adult Ficiton, Coming-of-Age Story

Here’s my bookish thoughts on Talking at Night, the heartwarming debut which was one of our SquadPod Featured Books in July. Thank you to Michael Joseph for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

THE LOVE STORY THAT WILL KEEP YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT


‘A beautiful love story. I devoured it’ JOJO MOYES
Gave me One Day vibes’ LIBBY PAGE
‘Basically impossible to put down’ BOBBY PALMER
‘Deeply romantic’ LAURA BARNETT
‘Beautiful and very clever’ FEARNE COTTON

‘Stunning, tender and true’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING SUMMER READING
INCLUDED IN THE INDEPENDENT’S ‘BEST ROMANTIC SUMMER READS’

—-

Will and Rosie meet as teenagers.

They’re opposites in every way. She overthinks everything; he is her twin brother’s wild and unpredictable friend. But over secret walks home and late-night phone calls, they become closer – destined to be one another’s great love story.

Until, one day, tragedy strikes, and their future together is shattered.

But as the years roll on, Will and Rosie can’t help but find their way back to each other. Time and again, they come close to rekindling what might have been.

What do you do when the one person you should forget is the one you just can’t let go?

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MY REVIEW:

Tender, heartfelt and affecting, Talking at Night is a deeply beautiful love story. It follows Rosie and Will, who meet as teenagers and have an instant connection. The pair are total opposites: Rosie is the stereotypical ‘good girl’ and overthinks everything, and Will is the wild and unpredictable best friend of her twin brother. It is clear from the start that this is more than teenage infatuation, but, before their relationship gets the chance to start, tragedy strikes, destroying any chance of a future together. What follows is a memorable will they/won’t they love story that will make even the most cynical person believe in soulmates.

Oh, my heart. I’d heard that this book was emotional but I was still unprepared for how it wreaked havoc on my emotions. Debut author Claire Daverley’s writing is simple but beautiful, allowing the characters and the story to shine in her exploration of love, friendship, loss and grief. Achingly human, acutely observed, and deeply moving, this character-driven romance has much more depth than your average, lighthearted love story. Real love isn’t all hearts and rainbows, and Daverley isn’t afraid to show that, exploring the flawed, painful side of love alongside the joy and laughter. But those things are still there. After all, this is a story about true love; that  all-consuming, red-hot, soulful love that is impossible to resist. It feels like a very fresh and modern romance, revealing how bittersweet love can be. After all, the path to true love rarely runs smooth, and it’s certainly a bumpy journey for Rosie and Will. But will it be worth it in the end?

Rosie and Will are very real, three-dimensional characters who I found likeable and relatable. Their romance gets off to a rocky start after a tragedy and we wonder if they will ever truly find their way back to one another. They try not to, seeing other people and severing contact on and off over the years, but they can never forget each other or completely let go and always find themselves drawn back together. We go on this journey with them, Daverley opening them up and revealing their innermost thoughts and feelings. And I felt every emotion alongside them, leaving me wrung out but heartened when it was all over. 

Passionate, poignant, heartwarming and compelling, Talking at Night is a glorious debut you won’t forget. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Claire Daverley was born in 1991 and has been writing stories ever since she was six years old.

After graduating with a degree in Fine Art from The University of Oxford, she began a career in publishing, writing about books by day, but penning her own by night, on trains and in the light of the early mornings.

She has spent most of her life in Hertfordshire, but now lives in Scotland by the sea with her husband and spaniel.

Her debut novel, Talking at Night, has sold in twenty-four countries to date.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: The Wrong Hands (Detective Miller Book 2) by Mark Billingham

Published June 20th, 2024 by Sphere
Mystery, Thriller, Crime Fiction, Suspense, Police Procedural

Today I’m finally sharing my review for the bat-shit crazy and totally brilliant, The Wrong Hands, which was one of the SquadPod Featured Books in July. Thank you to Sphere for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Had me laughing out loud one minute and emotional the next. I’m excited to have found a new favourite detective’ — CLAIRE DOUGLAS

This is one case Miller won’t want to open . . .

Unconventional Detective Declan Miller has a problem. Still desperate to solve the murder of his wife, a young man has just appeared on his doorstep with a briefcase . . . containing a pair of severed hands.

Miller knows this case is proof of a contract killing commissioned by local ne’er do well Wayne Cutler – a man he suspects might also be responsible for his wife’s death. Now Miller has leverage, but unfortunately he also has something that both Cutler and a villainous fast-food kingpin are desperate to get hold of.

Chuck in a Midsomer Murders-obsessed hitman, a psychotic welder and a woman driven over the edge by a wayward Crème Egg, and Miller is in a mess that even he might not be able to dance his way out of.

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MY REVIEW:

The Wrong Hands was one of our SquadPod featured books in July and I’m finally getting around to sharing my review. I dived straight into this one after book one as I was so hooked that I couldn’t wait to read more.

Detective Declan Miller is shocked when a young man turns up on his doorstep with a briefcase containing a pair of severed hands. Miller immediately recognises the case as proof of a contract killing commissioned by local gangster Wayne Cutler – the man he suspects could also be responsible for his wife’s death. The case gives Miller leverage. But unfortunately Culter isn’t the only one who wants to get hold of this case…

I’m starting to realise that Mark Billingham writes books that are bat-shit crazy but totally brilliant. This time there are gangsters, a murderer obsessed with Midsomer Murders, a psychotic welder, a woman who is driven over the edge by a wayward Creme Egg, and Miller is still trying to identify his wife’s killer. But it totally works.. The writing is fantastic with Billingham seamlessly merging very British humour with heartstopping tension while also exploring topics such as grief, loss and morality, bringing them all together to create a captivating thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. 

My love for Detective Miller has only been cemented with this book. He is just as unfiltered, sarcastic, cynical and dismissive of authority as he was before and still converses with his deceased wife, Alex, as a way to try and cope with his grief. It is through Miller that many of the difficult topics are explored, particularly grief, loss and acceptance. One particularly heartrending moment was Miller’s imagined goodbye to Alex, where Bingham explores the pain of the things we never got to say and how hard it can be to let those we love go. In terms of the other characters, I enjoyed how well Miller and his partner, Sara Xiu, worked together in this book. I also really enjoyed the greater insight into the criminal underworld this time around. We spend more time with the bad guys, getting a glimpse inside their minds, learning their motivations for a life of crime and how they rationalise their wrongdoings. We also saw the shades of grey that exist in all of us and how morality isn’t always a simple, black and white issue. 

Tense, twisty and addictive, devoured this one quickly. Now I have to impatiently wait for book three. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Mark Billingham was born and brought up in Birmingham. Having worked for some years as an actor and more recently as a TV writer and stand-up comedian his first crime novel was published in 2001.

Sleepyhead was an instant bestseller in the UK. It has been sold widely throughout the world and was published in the USA in the summer of 2002.

The series of crime novels featuring London-based detective Tom Thorne continued with Scaredy Cat and was followed by Lazybones, The Burning Girl, Lifeless, Buried, Death Message, Bloodline, From The Dead, Good As Dead, The Dying Hours, The Bones Beneath, Time Of Death, Love Like Blood, The Killing Habit, Their Little Secret, Cry Baby and the most recent The Murder Book. Mark is also the author of the standalone novels In The Dark, Rush Of Blood, Die Of Shame and his latest, Rabbit Hole.

A new series featuring DS Declan Miller began in 2023 with The Last Dance. The second in the series – The Wrong Hands – will be published in 2024.

Mark is also a regular contributor to radio and TV and is a member of the Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, a combo of bestselling crime and thriller writers who performed at the Glastonbury Festival in 2019.

An acclaimed television series based on the Thorne novels was screened on Sky One in Autumn 2010, starring David Morrissey as Tom Thorne. A series based on the novels In The Dark and Time Of Death was screened on BBC1 in 2017.

Mark lives in London with his wife and two children. He is currently writing his next novel.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: Monstrum by Lottie Mills

Published May 16th, 2024 by Oneworld
Horror Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Disability Fiction, Medical Fiction

It’s a little late, but today I’m finally sharing my review for the eerily beautiful, haunting and unnerving Monstrum, which was a SquadPod Featured Book in June. Thank you to Oneworld for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

What does it mean to be different in a world that values perfection, at any cost?

‘Lottie’s writing is a superb flight of the imagination’ A.S. Byatt, author of Possession

‘Haunting, luridly beautiful, and at times shockingly, deliciously gruesome’ Jenn Ashworth, author of Ghosted

A ‘Best Book for May 2024’ according to Cosmopolitan

From Lottie Mills, the winner of the BBC Young Writers’ Award in 2020, comes this beautifully crafted collection of stories.

A father and daughter build a life for themselves on an isolated beach. But the outside world is pressing in. It’s only a matter of time before their secret refuge is discovered.

A young disabled woman opts to receive a perfect, pain-free body. Soon, however, she finds herself haunted by the one she cast off. 

A travelling circus master discovers the ideal addition to his cabinet of curiosities: ‘damaged’, ‘grotesque’, gifted. He plans to make her the star of his show; she plans to take her revenge.

Monstrum captures the experience of characters excluded by a society that cannot accept their difference. Eerie, fantastical and hugely ambitious, this collection announces the arrival of an outstanding new literary voice. 

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MY REVIEW:

What does it mean to be different in a world that values perfection, at any cost?

Haunting, lurid, twisted and unflinching, Monstrum is a buffet of deliciously dark delights. Debut author Lottie Mills has crafted a thought-provoking collection of short stories that are eerily beautiful, exquisitely macabre, and deeply unnerving. I don’t read short stories often, but I was excited when this was picked as a SquadPod Featured Book for June (yes, I’m late with my review, sorry), and it is without a doubt the best short story collection I’ve read so far.

Lottie Mills is a refreshing and unique new literary voice. Her writing is sublime, feeling melancholy, sinister, witty and full of deep yearning all at the same time. The stories have an otherworldly and bizarre quality, but Mills also makes them undeniably human, allowing the reader to connect to her characters. It is easy to see why she was the winner of the BBC Young Writers’ Award in 2020 and I am sure there are many more remarkable stories to come from this sensational new voice. In this collection Mills explores topics such as disability, ableism, prejudice, domestic abuse and identity, illuminating the darkest corners of our society and the experiences of those who are born different in a world that can’t accept them. As a disabled person I found myself relating to many of these stories on a personal level and I am sure they will strike a resonant chord in many readers. 

The opening story, The Changeling, sets the tone well. It is harrowing, heartrending and haunting, bringing the pain felt by these characters to life in achingly vivid detail. The Bear Children was a deeply moving portrayal of disability and ableism while The White Lion was sweet karma and beautifully brutal. She even manages to make child abuse and neglect horrifically beautiful in the moving The Toymaker’s Daughter.  There were a couple of stories I didn’t understand but they were still an enjoyable read that made me feel like I was seeing the world through the eyes of someone that I needed to see. The stories that I personally related to most were The Pain, The Selkie and The Body. The Selkie felt like she’d put my first marriage on paper and I was reading my own life, while The Pain and The Body are ones I felt on a visceral level. I’ve often joked that I wish I could have a new body, so when I first began reading The Body I was excited and a little jealous that this person had the opportunity to cast off their broken body for one that worked properly without pain. But as it went on I was reminded to be thankful for all my body can do and no longer sure I would switch out my body if given the chance. Meanwhile, The Merman was so moving, and probably my favourite story of all, ending the collection on a high note.

An outstanding collection of stories that will simultaneously send shivers down your spine, tug at your heart strings, and make you think, Monstrum is not to be missed. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Lottie Mills was born in Hampshire and grew up in West Sussex, Hertfordshire, and Essex. She studied English at Newnham College, Cambridge, and contributed to Varsity and The Mays during her time there. In 2020, she won the BBC Young Writers’ Award for her short story ‘The Changeling’, having been previously shortlisted in 2018. Her work has been broadcast on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 4, and she has appeared on programmes including Look East, Life Hacks, and Woman’s Hour to discuss her writing. Monstrum is her debut book.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: The Long Water by Stef Penney

Published July 4th, 2024 by Quercus
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime Ficiton

Welcome to my review for this darkly atmoshperic, cryptic and compelling story. Thank you to Quercus for sending me a proof copy in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

Author of the Costa-prizewinning, world-wide bestseller The Tenderness of Wolves, Stef Penney, returns to her snow-covered heartland in this tense mystery set in a small Scandinavian town.

Nordland. A region in the Norwegian Arctic; a remote valley that stretches from the sea up to the mountains and glaciers.

It is May in what was once a prosperous mining community. The snows are nearly gone and it’s a time of spring and school-leavers’ celebrations – until Daniel, a popular teenage boy, goes missing. Conflicting stories circulate among his friends, of parties and wild behaviour.

As the search for Daniel widens, the police open a disused mine in the mountains. They find human remains, but this body has been there for decades, its identity a mystery.

Everyone in this tight knit, isolated community is touched by these events: misanthropic Svea, whose long life in the area stretches back to the heyday of the mines, and beyond. She has cut all ties with her family, except for her granddaughter, Elin, an outsider like her grandmother. Elin and her friend Benny, both impacted by Daniel while he was alive, become entangled in the hunt for answers, while Svea has deep, dark secrets of her own.

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MY REVIEW:

Due to the craziness of our house move I’m a bit behind with this month’s book reviews, but I’m finally getting around to posting my review of The Long Water, which was one of this month’s SquadPod Featured books.

I adored The Tenderness of Wolves when I read it years ago, so I was excited when the SquadPod were offered the chance to read Stef Penney’s latest novel as one of our featured books. Set in Nordland, a valley in the Norwegian Arctic, the story centres around the disappearance of Daniel, a popular teenager in this remote valley. The story opens in May, when the snow has almost melted and school is ending for the year. The school-leavers celebrations are traditionally a time for parties, pranks and wild behaviour. Daniel is one of the popular kids and his disappearance touches everyone in this small town. It’s the talk of the village and different stories and theories quickly circulate. The police widen their search, eventually leading them to disused mine in the mountains. Human remains are discovered but they are not Daniel. This body has lain there for decades. Daniel’s disappearance soon fades into the background as the police try to decipher the identity of the body and what happened to them. In this small town where everybody knows everybody and secrets don’t stay hidden for long, how is it possible a body has lain in the mine for decades? And where is Daniel?

Cryptic, intriguing and compelling, this is a story you get lost in. Part crime fiction and part family saga, this beautifully written story showcases Ms. Penny’s masterful storytelling to perfection. She sets the scene through evocative imagery, transporting her reader to the remote Norwegian Arctic. Through the lens of these tragic events we are introduced to the inhabitants of this small, close-knit mining town. There’s a strong sense of community and everyone is embroiled in the search for answers. As events  unfold, shockwaves are felt throughout the town with family dramas, prejudices and long-buried secrets finally being revealed. 

Atmospheric, tense, moving and mysterious, this is one not to be missed. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Stef Penney is a screenwriter and the author of three novels: The Tenderness of Wolves (2006), The Invisible Ones (2011), and Under a Pole Star (2016). She has also written extensively for radio, including adaptations of Moby Dick, The Worst Journey in the World, and, mostly recently, a third installment of Peter O’Donnell’s Modesty Blaise series.

The Tenderness of Wolves won Costa Book of the Year, Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year, and was translated into thirty languages. It has just been re-issued in a 10th anniversary edition.

Five facts about SP:

1. I like snow. There is a magic in cold landscapes that compels me more than any other. I’m the ultimate armchair explorer. In my mind this is linked to my former agoraphobia. Wide open, hostile places produce in me a visceral reaction; perhaps that’s why I can’t stop writing, or reading, about them. I’m drawn to what scares me – treeless wilderness, the open sea, Space…

2. I do zero-carbon research. Unlike the protagonist of Under A Pole Star, I haven’t been to the North Pole. I have been to the Scandinavian Arctic – which is totally different – but am unconvinced that being there has made my writing about landscape any stronger (I hadn’t been before The Tenderness of Wolves). Being there normalises a place; you are struck by differences, but even more by similarities: wherever there are people, there be dentists. Still, I have great memories of Lapland: picking sour blueberries from the banks of a mountain stream; cross-country skiing and realising that I could still fall over as safely as when I was a child; watching a Japanese contestant in the Air Guitar World Championships channel Star Wars; visiting Santa’s village and meeting the man himself – and sitting on his knee – in August…

3. I’m Scottish. I have a love-hate relationship with Scotland that is shared by many Scottish exiles. Elements of this: pride in its Enlightenment thinkers, its inventiveness and internationalism; love and awe of the landscape; nostalgia for chilly Highland summers; a sneaking pride in having endured games on frozen fields, in shorts, and endless walks in scenery obscured by drizzle. Then there’s the food: deep-fried Mars bar – delicious. Deep-fried frozen pizza, on the other hand… Scotland’s a great place. I’d probably want to live in it, if I hadn’t grown up there.

4. I’m a feminist. Doesn’t need saying these days, right? Or maybe it does. Writing about a female explorer at the end of the 19th Century, I’ve been more aware of it than ever. The protagonist struggles to be taken seriously with her ambition, of course, but something else happened in the writing process I didn’t expect: it became a deeply explicit love story. This felt like a political as well as a narrative necessity; there have been far too many vague, unconvincing and plain misleading sex scenes in books and films, and it felt vital to tell the truth – and for that, “Dot, dot, dot. Afterwards” was not going to cut it.

5. I have a degree in Philosophy and Theology. It made me unemployable. In my final year, I was browsing through the job pages when I came across my perfect job – Officer for Comparative Religions in a local authority. Hurray, I thought, finally, something that suits my skill set. Then I noticed that the advert next to it was for a Senior Carrot Inspector. I looked at the date – it was April 1st. Obviously, I had to become a writer.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophile xxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd

Published June 20th, 2024 by Pan Macmillan
Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Mystery

Welcome to my review for this compelling thriller. Thank you Chloe at Pan Macmillan sending me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Intoxicating, enthralling, compelling’ Harriet Tyce

‘Bold and ambitious and consuming from start to finish’ Louise Candlish

A stunning, intricately plotted and clever mystery’ Claire Douglas

‘Think The Secret History meets Saltburn’ Holly Watt

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Some women can’t be erased from history . . .

A story of love and madness, of obsession and revenge.

Paris, 1938: Runaway heiress Juliette Willoughby perishes, with her married lover, in an accidental studio fire alongside her Surrealist masterpiece, Self-Portrait as Sphinx.

Cambridge, 1991: Two art history students stumble across proof something sinister was at play in Juliette’s death, threatening to expose the long-buried secrets of the artist’s aristocratic family.

Dubai, now: An art dealer is accused of the brutal murder of his oldest friend – the last surviving member of the Willoughby dynasty.

Three suspicious deaths over the course of a century.

Is the key to unlocking them all hidden in Juliette Willoughby’s lost painting?

From the author of The Club, a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby is Ellery Lloyd’s compulsive multiple – timeline mystery – a story of love and madness, of obsession and revenge.

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MY REVIEW:

Glamorous, bold, ambitious and intelligent, The Final Act of Juliette Willougby is a captivating story of love, madness, scandal, revenge, and justice. 

Juliette Willoughby is famous in the art world for her surrealist masterpiece, Self Portrait as Sphinx. The heiress fled her ancestral home to live in Paris with her married lover and the pair were tragically killed in an accidental studio fire in 1938. Her portrait was also destroyed. 53 years later two art history students at Cambridge discover proof that her death may not have been accidental after all. A discovery that could be disastrous for her aristocratic family as it threatens to expose their long-buried secrets. In the present day, an art dealer in Dubai is accused of murdering his oldest friend who just happened to be the last surviving member of the Willoughby dynasty. Could Juliette’s lost painting hold the key to unlocking these mysteries? 

This was one of our SquadPod featured books last month and I was even more excited to read it after watching Vik’s Instagram Live with the authors. I’ve also seen many other bloggers sing Ellery Lloyd’s praises, but I’m ashamed to say that despite owning all of their books, this was my first time reading one of them. The hype is real my friends and I’m kicking myself for waiting so long. Skillfully written, cleverly plotted,  intricately woven and filled with twists and red herrings I was on the edge of my seat trying to unravel this complex mystery. A vast array of compelling characters drew me into their world as the story moved seamlessly between timelines and narrators. I was hooked and only solved the puzzle  moments before the big reveal and the surprising but satisfying conclusion.

Heart-stopping, immersive, and gripping, The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby is a riveting thriller and a must-read for fans of the genre. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Collette Lyons is a journalist and editor, the former content director of Elle (UK) and editorial director at Soho House. She has written for The Guardian, The Telegraph, and the Sunday Times. 

Paul Vlitos is the author of two previous novels, Welcome to the Working Week and Every Day is Like Sunday. He is the program director for English Literature with Creative Writing at the University of Surrey.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

********

Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

Categories
book reviews Emma's Anticipated Treasures Most Anticipated 2024 Squadpod Squadpod Featured Books Squadpod Recommends

SQUADPOD BLOG BLAST: Under Her Roof by A. A. Chaudhuri

Published June 13th, 2024 by Hera
Thriller, Psychological Fiction, Suspense

Happy Publication Day to A. A. Chaudhuri and welcome to my stop on the SquadPod Collective Book Blast for Under Her Roof. Thank you to Hera for my proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

‘Intense, intricate and packed with intrigue…a thrilling and addictive read.’ B.A. Paris

It seems too good to be true…

When struggling writer Sebastian finds a room to let in a palatial Hampstead residence he cannot believe his luck. The rent is ridiculously cheap and he immediately feels a connection with his beautiful widowed landlady, Adriana.

It is.

Things take a dark turn when he finds out what happened to the last lodger. Could this be why the house is a fortress of security, and why Adriana seems so fragile? Adriana doesn’t want to talk about the death and sadness that seem to follow her wherever she goes and Sebastian has secrets of his own.

Now someone is watching their every move and there is nowhere to hide.

This house of light becomes a dark nightmare as the threat ramps up – what does the watcher want? And how far will they go to get it?

A gripping, twisty thriller perfect for fans of B.A. Paris, Shari Lapena and Lucy Foley. If you were hooked by Netflix series You or The Watcher then you will love this.

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MY REVIEW:

When struggling writer, Seb, finds a cheap room for rent in a luxurious Hampstead house he worries it is too good to be true. His misgivings aren’t eased by the house’s fortress-like security or the dark circumstances of her last lodger’s tragic ending, but when he meets the mysterious widowed landlady, Adriana, he is put at ease and struck by an instant connection with her. But, what neither of them know is that there is someone watching their every move. What does this watcher want? And do the dark secrets they are both hiding have anything to do with it? 

Intense, cryptic and suspenseful, Under Her Roof is another jaw-dropping thriller from A. A. Chaudhuri. Sizzling with dark secrets, suspicion and intrigue, I couldn’t put this down and devoured the book quickly. Chaudhuri is a must-read author for me and she gets better with every book. Expertly written and cleverly plotted, this was impossible to predict. My mind raced with theories and suspicions, but I couldn’t see how the many different threads of the story would connect until Chaudhuri skillfully intertwined them, delivering shocking twists that changed everything I thought I knew. Looking back, I can see the breadcrumbs she’d subtly sprinkled throughout the story, but I couldn’t see the full picture until she revealed it. Brava, Ms. Chaudhuri.

The story is told by multiple narrators in multiple timelines and all of the characters are richly drawn, complex and fractured. Adriana and Seb are two of the narrators and while both of them are likeable, we have no idea if they are reliable as they admit they are hiding dark secrets they are terrified of being revealed. No one in this story is completely innocent and an air of suspicion surrounds all of them and the tension radiates from the pages, keeping you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The story’s other narrators’ identities are a mystery that isn’t revealed until the dramatic finale. One of these is the ‘villain’ of the story. The mysterious person watching Adriana and Seb under the cover of looking out for her. This is a dark, sinister and dangerous character who will go to any lengths to ‘help’ Adriana and while there were a number of suspects I had in mind, my mind was blown when their true identity was revealed. 

Dark, devious, twisty and unpredictable, Under Her Roof is a high-octane psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the last page. Once again Ms. Chaudhuri has shown why she is one of the best thriller writers you will read. Highly recommended. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮.5

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

A.A. Chaudhuri is a former City lawyer turned thriller writer, born and raised in Portsmouth, but who now lives in Surrey with her family. Once a highly ranked British junior tennis player, competing in the national championships and a member of the national squad, she went on to tour the women’s professional satellite circuit as a teenager and achieved a world ranking of 650.

THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION, published by LUME BOOKS in July and December 2019, are her first crime book series, plunging readers into London’s glamorous legal world and featuring series’ heroine, Maddy Kramer, fiction’s first female City lawyer amateur sleuth, who teams up with charismatic DCI Jake Carver to solve a gruesome series of murders and a puzzling abduction. THE SCRIBE and THE ABDUCTION were published as audio books by Isis Audio on 1st January and 1st March 2021, both read by David Thorpe.

She has also contributed an original short story THE ENCOUNTER to crime anthology GIVEN IN EVIDENCE published by LUME BOOKS in May 2020, has written many articles and short stories for The Crime Writers’ Association.

Her first psychological thriller with HERA BOOKS, SHE’S MINE, was published in e-book, paperback and audio in August 2021, the second, THE LOYAL FRIEND, was published in all three formats in June 2022 and published in the USA by Canelo US on 20th June 2023. Her third, THE FINAL PARTY, was published on May 25th 2023. It will be released in audiobook on 1st February 2024.

Her fourth psychological thriller – UNDER HER ROOF – will be released on 13th June 2024.

Besides being an avid reader, she enjoys fitness, films, anything Italian and a good margarita!

All of Alex’s books have achieved bestseller status on Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Australia and Amazon Canada.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: Hera by Jennifer Saint

Published May 23rd, 2024 by Wildfire
Greek Mythology, Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale, Literary Fiction

Thank you Wildfire Books for sending me a proof copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

The enthralling tale of a powerful Greek goddess maligned in both myth and ancient history, as told by Sunday Times bestselling author Jennifer Saint.

‘An exceptional achievement’ ELODIE HARPER
‘A very special novel’ COSTANZA CASATI
‘The essential mythological book of the decade’ NIKITA GILL

When Hera, immortal goddess and daughter of the ancient Titan Cronus, helps her brother Zeus to overthrow their tyrannical father, she dreams of ruling at his side.

As they establish their reign on Mount Olympus, Hera suspects that Zeus might be just as ruthless and cruel as the father they betrayed.

She was always born to rule, but must she lose herself in perpetuating this cycle of violence and cruelty? Or can she find a way to forge a better world?

Often portrayed as the jealous wife or the wicked stepmother, this retelling captures the many sides of Hera, vengeful when she needs to be but also compassionate and most importantly, an all-powerful queen to the gods.

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MY REVIEW:

“Zeus thinks he has the upper hand. He’s made her the goddess of marriage, thinking she’s nothing more than a dutiful wife.
But he never imagines the mistake he’s made in making her his enemy and inviting her so close.”

Jennifer Saint’s latest novel sees her tackle the myth of Hera, Queen of Heaven and the Goddess of Marriage. Beautifully written and evocative, I was immediately drawn into the world of this complex immortal goddess.

Hera. Daughter of the  tyrannical Titan ruler, Cronus, she helps her brother, Zeus, overthrow their father and establish a new reign on Mount Olympus ruling by his side. But Zeus quickly betrays her, offering thrones to their brothers. She faces further humiliation when he forces her to become his bride and makes her the patron of women, marriage and childbirth. Hera swears vengeance, plotting quietly while playing the dutiful wife and queen. But she can’t stay quiet for long, and soon she and Zeus are caught in a perpetual cycle of violence, betrayal and revenge that has far-reaching repercussions. 

Hera is a complicated goddess who isn’t easy to like. She’s beautiful, regal, formidable and fierce, but also vengeful, scheming, vindictive, vicious and cruel. But interwoven with all of that is a traumatised, broken woman who is deeply unhappy. There is a caring side of her, and I liked seeing those glimmers of compassion that she had at times. But I could understand that it was hard for her to be that way as a woman who had never been shown how to be caring, maternal or loving; someone trapped in a toxic marriage; and someone who has faced a battle for survival and power from the day she was conceived. 

One of the things I liked about this book is that Ms. Saint never shied away from Hera’s flaws, excuse her abhorrent behaviour, or tried to make her likeable and sympathetic. She faces her faults head-on, instead giving us an anti-hero who we can understand on a deeper level by the end of the book, even if we don’t like her. I’ll admit, I struggled with the idea that Hera’s actions had a feminist motivation as I found her to be self-focused and motivated by power, wrath and revenge. And she often took out her rage at Zeus’ behaviour out on the women he often forced himself on. But I could understand that Hera is a product of trauma who has never developed a sisterhood with other women or been taught how to be caring and maternal. This is a woman who has known only fighting to survive from the time she was born and is trapped in a toxic marriage that she can’t find her way out of. I had sympathy for that even if I didn’t like her actions. 

One of my favourite aspects of this book is how Ms. Saint humanised the monsters of Greek mythology. I found myself grieving alongside Hera as Typhon and his children were slain and saw so-called heroes such as Hercules in a different light. The monsters were simply existing and yet they were hunted down and brutally killed in the name of glory. I shared Hera’s revulsion at this, and will definitely see those usually demonised in these myths through another lens from now on.

A feisty and glorious novel, this is a must-read for fans of Greek mythology. 

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Jennifer Saint grew up reading Greek mythology and was always drawn to the untold stories hidden within the myths. She read Classical Studies at King’s College, London where she is now a Visiting Research Fellow in the Classics Department. After thirteen years as a high school English teacher, she wrote Ariadne which was an instant Sunday Times bestseller. It was shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year in 2021 and was  a Waterstones Book of the Month. Her second novel, Elektra, and third novel Atalanta, were number one Sunday Times bestsellers. Her latest mesmerising mythological retelling, Hera, will be published in the UK on 23rd May and in the US on 23rd July.

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BUY THE BOOK:

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOKS: The Comeback by Ella Berman

Published April 11th, 2024 by Aria
Psychological Fiction, Thriller, Literary Fiction, Legal Thriller, Political Thriller

Welcome to my review for this courageous and compelling thriller. This was one of our recent SquadPod Featured Books. Thank you to Aria for the gifted proof in exchange for an honest review.

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ABOUT THE BOOK:

They say she owes him everything.
Now she wants to burn it all to the ground.

Grace Turner was one movie away from Hollywood’s A-List. So no one understood why, at the height of her career and on the eve of her first Golden Globe nomination, she disappeared.

Now, one year later, Grace is back in Los Angeles and ready to reclaim her life on her own terms.

When Grace is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to director Able Yorke – the man who controlled her every move for eight years – she knows there’s only one way she’ll be free of the secret that’s already taken so much from her.

The Comeback is a moving and provocative story of justice – a true page-turner about a young woman finding the strength and power of her voice, from the author of Reese’s Book Club pick Before We Were Innocent.

‘Beautifully written and compulsively readable.At its core, this book is about redemption, grace, and pain.’ – Jenna Bush Hager

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MY REVIEW:

“Maybe their turn for winning is over, Grace. Maybe it’s our turn now.”

An empowering, courageous and thought-provoking story that reveals the darkness that lurks beneath the glamour and glitz of Hollywood, The Comeback is a story that demands to be read. The story is told by Grace, a young Hollywood starlet who was on the cusp of making the A-List when she suddenly disappeared. Now, after a year of isolation at her parents’ home in Anaheim, Grace has returned to L.A. and is slowly rebuilding her life on her own terms.  From the start there’s a sense of a secret hidden under the surface. A secret she doesn’t want to face. But she may not have a choice because just as she’s getting her life back on track she is asked to present a lifetime achievement award to her director Able Yorke. It seems perfect: the young actress honouring the man who discovered her and then mentored her for eight years. Suddenly Grace’s past demons are refusing to stay hidden and she must finally confront the things she’s been running from for so long. 

The #MeToo movement highlighting Hollywood’s culture of sexual abuse and rape is now well known, but this story was originally conceived a few months before it in early 2017 and published in the US in 2020. Since then we have heard countless stories of the horrendous abuse actors and actresses were subjected to by those in authority, including the recent documentary ‘Quiet on Set’ which focused on the terrible treatment of Hollywood’s child stars. Grace’s story of coercive control, isolation, fear, and abuse, parallels many of the stories we are now familiar with. But that doesn’t make it any less potent or heartrending. With beautiful, bleak and bold writing, Ella Berman has crafted an achingly authentic story that gets under your skin, exposing the steep price many have had to pay for fame and fortune while making us look at Hollywood and celebrity gossip through a new lens.

“The most vicious demons have always been my own, and I’ve never learned how to protect myself from them. I have tried to move quietly through the world, figuring that if I could just forget what happened, then I could move on, but maybe it doesn’t work like that.”

This story wouldn’t work without a well written central character and Bermann has got the ‘everyday girl plucked from obscurity’ down to a tee.  Fractured, flawed, vulnerable, and real, she is haunted by the trauma she’s been subjected to for eight years while everyone has told her how lucky she is. Her actions aren’t always right, but they are understandable, particularly as she confronts what she’s been through after burying it deep inside for so long. The other characters are equally as well-written and compelling and I liked how Berman illustrates the dysfunctional and transactional nature of the relationships in Grace’s life, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining healthy relationships when you work in Hollywood, and the problems that arise when trying to support someone through hardships such as addiction, trauma, and mental health issues. 

The other character who is vital to get right is the villain of the story and I felt like Berman skillfully captured Able York. Able is charismatic, charming, seductive, shrewd, and cunning. This man gave me chills. He cleverly calculates his moves and is a total slimeball underneath the ‘nice guy’ persona he portrays. He knows just how to isolate and intimidate his victims and you can understand how Grace fell for his act, especially when so young and naive. 

Melancholy, consuming, brutal and vivid, The Comeback is a timely story of bravery, strength, and the power of finding your voice. Highly recommended.

Rating: ✮✮✮✮✰

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Ella Berman grew up in both London and Los Angeles and worked at Sony Music before starting the clothing brand London Loves LA. She lives in London with her husband, James, and their dog, Rocky. The Comeback is her first novel.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxxx

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SQUADPOD FEATURED BOOK: The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr

Published May 9th, 2024 by Orion
Cozy Mystery, Literary Fiction, Puzzles, Coming-of-Age Story, Domestic Fiction, Gay Fiction

Today I’m my review for this charming and uplifting debut that was one of our SquadPod Featured Books this month. Thank you to Orion for the gifted proof copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tune in on the SquadPod Instagram account tonight at 7.30pm to here me chat with Samuel about the book.

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BOOK DESCRIPTION:

‘Utterly beautiful. I adored it’ JOANNA CANNON

‘Hugely uplifting and wonderful’AJ PEARCE

‘A ripping yarn full of warmth and wonder’BETH MORREY

Sometimes finding your place in the world is the greatest puzzle of all…

Clayton Stumper is an enigma.

He might be twenty-five years old, but he dresses like your grandad and drinks sherry like your aunt.

Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by the sharpest minds in the British Isles and finds himself amongst the last survivors of a fading institution.

When the esteemed crossword compiler, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle to him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for his future.

Yet as Clay begins to unpick the clues, he uncovers something even the Fellowship have never been able to solve – and it’s a secret that will change everything…

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MY REVIEW:

Sometimes, finding your place in the world is the greatest puzzle of all.

Sometimes you only have to look at a book and know you’re going to love it. The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers was everything I’d hoped for and more. Cryptic, quirky and uplifting, this magnificent debut is an absolute gem. An ode to friendship, community, love and finding your place in the world, this hit the sweet spot where you want to devour it whole but also never want it to end. 

Clayton Stumper is not your average 25-year-old. He was abandoned at birth and found in a hatbox on the steps of The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by its founder, Pippa, and has been raised there ever since. But when Pippa passes away she leaves behind one final puzzle to be solved: the mystery of Clayton’s parentage. Can Clayton follow the clues to finally solve the puzzle that has eluded even the brightest minds of the country?

Debut novelist Samuel Burr has set the bar sky-high with this phenomenal debut and I will be buying anything he writes from now on. It is cleverly written, shrewdly plotted and steadily paced, keeping the reader guessing with misdirection and surprising revelations. The story moves smoothly between dual timelines and narrators, following Clayton on his journey of self-discovery in the present, while the past details the Fellowship’s conception and events leading up to the day Clayton was discovered on their doorstep. But what I loved most about this book was how Burr intricately weaves puzzles into every aspect of the story, including making it so the reader can play along and try to solve the clues alongside the characters. But, don’t worry if you don’t like puzzles, because you can also flip to the answers at the back. I’m a puzzle fan and enjoyed trying to solve the clues, but I did use the answer sheet for some of them, too. 

Burr has created an eclectic cast of wonderful and fascinating characters who fit together like puzzle pieces despite coming from different boxes. I enjoyed their friendships that slowly blossomed into a found family. Clayton and Pippa were excellent protagonists who were both likeable, relatable, easy to root for, and had compelling backstories. I loved seeing Clayton slowly emerge from his self-imposed cocoon like a butterfly as he followed Pippa’s clues and enjoyed looking for ones that might be hidden in the flashbacks. Pippa was a nurturing, caring and supportive character, and I loved how she brought everybody together by creating a place where they could do what they love without judgement. It reminded me of finding my people in the book community, and when Pippa and the Puzzlers spoke about how puzzling makes them feel, it was as if I was speaking about my love of reading.

Charming, warm, joyful, and addictive, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers is feel-good fiction at its finest. Add this to your TBR now!

Rating: 🧩🧩🧩🧩🧩

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MEET THE AUTHOR:

Samuel studied at Westminster Film School and now works as an author and freelance TV executive. He has developed and produced popular-factual shows including Channel 4’s Genderquake and The Greatest Shows on Earth, BBC Two’s Eight Go Rallying and The Secret Life of Cleaners, and the BAFTA-nominated Secret Life of 4-Year-Olds.

A documentary he shot inside a retirement village when he was eighteen years old launched his career in television and inspired his debut novel, The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers. Samuel’s writing was shortlisted for Penguin’s WriteNow scheme and in 2021 he graduated from the Faber Academy.

In his spare time, Samuel volunteers for the elderly charity Age UK. He lives in London with his partner Tom and their cat Muriel.

He has always been old at heart.

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BUY THE BOOK:

Waterstones* | Bookshop.org* | Amazon*
*These are affiliate links

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Thanks for reading, Bibliophiles xxx